Attachment-plug.



H. T. PAISTE.

ATTACHMENT PLUG.

APPLICATION men JULY 24,1913.

Lfiwfimu Patented Jan.15,1918.

NI er men at.

HENRY T. PAISTE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 H. 'I. PAISTE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

ATTACHMENT-PLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 11018.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. PAISTE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Attachment-Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel, relatively simple, substantial and inexpensive adapter or connecting device for interposition between a socket, receptacle or the like and a contact plug forming the terminal of two conductors.

It is further desired that the attachment plug or adapter made in accordance with my invention, shall be of such construction as to permit its parts to be easily and quickly assembled, andreduce to a minimum the danger of an accidental short circuit.

These objects and other advantageous ends I se ure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an adapter constructed according to my invention, and moun ed between a contact plug and a receptacle Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the attachment plug shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detached perspective of the various parts, excepting the threaded shell, going to make up the plug- Fig. 4 is a plan of one end or the bottom of the metal shell;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line aa Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections of slightly modified forms of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section illustrating certain features of the invention as applied to a plug socket or receptacle; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a vertical section and an inverted plan of one form of plug contact which may be used with the attachment plug or adapter shown in other figures.

In the above drawings, 1 represents a molded body or casing of a suitable insulating material such as porcelain. This is of a generally cylindrical form and preferably has a notched flange 2 adjacent one end or face, being provided with an opening 3 in. said end leading to an elongated and generally rectangular cavity 4. In its opposite end are two openings or passages 5 and 6 of rectangular section leading into the cavity 4 and between them is a circular hole 7 surrounded by a raised flange 8 concentric with the axis of the casting. A rectangular opening 9 leads from the side or cylindrical surface of the casting into its cavity 4.

Mounted on the cylindrical body of the casting 1 is a shell 10 of relatively thin metal having its otherwise cylindrical surface formed as screw threads of such design as to properly fit into a standard Edison lamp socket or receptacle, and while this shell 1s open at one end, its opposite end has a small centrally placed circular openlng ll of such diameter as to snugly fit over the projecting flange 8 of said casting. This end of the shell is also provided with a rectangular opening 12 so placed as to register with one of the openings 5 or 6 as may be desired.

Interposed between the end of the shell 10 and the bottom surface of the casting is the annular end portion 13 of one of the contact members 14, formed of relatively. thin and i more or less resilient metallic strip and having its end formed with a perforation or hole 15 designed to fit over the fiangeSof the casting. Its side or main portion extends substantially at right angles to its end 13 and has its extremity l6 bent through an angle somewhat less than 180, so that it lies almost parallel or at a relatively small angle to said main or body portion. When the shell and contact member 14 are assembled, the end of the latter lies in electrical contact with the end of said shell .10, while its main portion extends through the opening 5 for example, of the casting 1 into the cavity thereof, in the general position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to prevent revolution of the shell on the casting, I press in portions of its end as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to form tongues 17 whose distance apart is such that they lie immediately adjacent and on opposite sides of the neck of the end 13 of the contact member 14.

In addition to the above I cover the end of the shell 10 with a plate 18 of insulating material which has a central hole 19 and a projecting lug 20 of rectangular outline designed to extend through the opening 12 in the end of the shell and also through the openin 6 of the casting 1 in order to prevent revolution of said plate. The latter is rigidly held in place by means of a screw 21 and a headed sleeve 22 which is internally threaded for the reception of this screw. The head 23 of the sleeve is of relatively stiff though thin metal and forms the central end contact of the attachment plug or ada ter.

T e second contact member for the plug consists of a piece 21 of resilient strip metal having an end portion extending substantially at right angles to its body and provided with a hole 26 for the reception of the screw 21. This latter, as shown in Fig. 2, electrically connects with the end 25 of the second contact member and maintains it in electrical connection with the sleeve 22 and contact head 23. The extremity 27 of the second contact member is bent over preferably somewhat less than 180, so that it projects at an angle to the main portion of the contact member toward the similarly projecting part 16 of the first contact member 14. 'Both the parts 16 and 27 of the two contact members adjacent their ends have pressed out convex projections 28 and 29 designed to enter or snap into the cavities 30 and 31 in the terminal members 32 and 33 of the contact plug preferably used with this device.

In assembling the various parts, the shell 10 is placed over the cylindrical end of the casting 1 after the main portion of the contact member 14 has been pushed through the hole 5 within the cavity of the casting and the annular end 13 of said member has been fitted over the flange 8. The insulating plate 18 is then put in place on the end of the shell, with its lug 20 projecting into the opening 6 and the headed sleeve 22 is then passedthrough the hole 19 of said plate. The second contact member 24 is then introduced into the cavity 4 of the casting through the opening 3 and the screw 21, after being passed through the hole 26, is set up in the threaded sleeve 22, thus rigidly binding all of the parts together and permanently maintaining the two branches of the circuit completely insulated one from the other. It is noted that within the cavity 4 there is preferably a raised rib or partition 3 1 extended between the head of. the screw 21 and the adjacent part of the first contact member 14 so as to diminish the possibility of a short circuit within the structure in case of the accidental entrance of a small piece of metalwhich might otherwise lodge between the screw head and said member.

If desired, I may simplify the construction of the attachment plug or adapter by employing a relatively thin piece of sheet insulation 18 between the end of the shell 10 and the head 23 which forms the second contact of the said plug as shown in Fig. 6, and as in Fig. 7, I may instead of using a screw 21 to connect the contact member 24 and the sleeve 22 with its head 23,

merely upset or spread the end of said sleeve as indicated at 21, so that the contact member 23 with its stem and upset head constitutes a rivet.

As will he understood by those skilled in this art, an attachment plug of the construction shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7 may be screwed into an ordinary Edison socket or receptacle and for supplying a pair of wires from this device I connect them to a terminal plug of the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The body of the contact plug then consists of a hemispherical structure 35 of insulating material having its plane face undercut or hollowed and formed with an integral projection 36 of substantially rectangular section extending from approximately the center of this face. The contact members 32 and 33 heretofore referred to are made of strips of metal, each bent into two parts substantially at right angles to each other and while the longer part of each of these strips extends on one of the faces of i the above noted projection 36, the other lies within the under-cut portion of the body 35 where it is retained in place by a screw 37. At the center of the curved surface of this body 35 I form a recess 38 for the reception of the conductors 39 and 40 or for the cable including them, and from this cavity extend two passages which open on the under-cut face so that said wires may have their extremities carried around the screws 37 and be thereby respectively connected to the short parts of the contact strips 32 and 33. A circular sheet 12 of insulating material is placed over the undercut face of the body 35 so as to cover and protect the otherwise exposed terminals.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated contact members 24, similar in construction to those used in my attachment plug or adapter, as applied to a wall receptacle or socket designed to receive a contact plug such as that shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In this case the said contact members are both similar to the member 24 and are mounted with their parts 27 extending toward each other within the cavity 4 of an insulating casting or body 1. Each of these contact members is held in place by a screw or bolt 41 projecting through the bottom of said casting and having its head lying within a cavity or depression in the underface of the latter in such position that current carrying conductors may conveniently be engaged by them in any suitable manner.

Under conditions of use contact plugs such as that shown in Figs. 1, 9 and 10 may be conveniently introduced into and removed from the attachment plug or terminal member shown in the other figures, it being noted that said plug is not easily dislodged from the adapter since at the time it is inserted, the spring strips 16 and 27 project toward of an insulating body having a substantially cylindrical portion; two contacts carried by said body; an inwardly flanged metal shell mounted on the cylindrical part of the body with its flange extending over one end of the same 'in direct electrical engagement with one of the contacts; a plate of insulating material engaging the flange of the shell; and a terminal piece on the insulating plate having means at one end'engaging the second contact to clamp all of said parts together.

2. The combination'in an attachment plug of a hollow insulating body having a perforated projection at one end; two contacts within the body of which one has'a perforated portion extending over the perfotill rated projection; a metal shell mounted on the body and having a perforated end also extending over the projection in engagement with the end of the contact; with a headed terminal member insulated from the shell and first contact and extending through the projection into electrical engagement with the second contact.

3. The combination in an attachment plug of a hollow insulating body having a perforated projection and an opening at one end; contacts mounted Within the body of which one extends through said opening and is perforated to fit over the projection; a shell mounted on the body and having an end portion fittingaround the projection in engagement with said first contact; an insulating plate mounted on the end of the body; a headed terminal piece extending throughsaid plate and the projection of the body; with means electrically connecting said piece to the second contact and holding all of said parts together.

4. Thecombination in an attachment plug of a hollow insulating body having an integral perforated circular projection and an opening at one end; contacts mounted within the body of which one extends through said opening and is perforated to fit over the projection; a shell mounted on the body and having an end portion fitting around the projection in engagement with said first contact; an insulating plate mounted on the end of the body; a headed terminal piece extending through said plate and the projection of the body; means electrically connecting said piece to the second contact and holding all of said parts together; with means for preventing relative rotary movement of the insulating plate and metal shell.

5. The combination in an attachment plug of a hollow insulating body having an opening into its interior and a cavity; contacts therein; a metal shell mounted on the body and electrically connected to one of the contacts, said shell projecting over one end of the body; an insulating plate having a projection extending through the end of the shell into the cavity of the body; and a headed terminal piece extending through the insulating plate into electrical engagement with the second contact.

6. The combination in an attachment plug of a hollow insulating body; two contacts mounted therein of which one extends over one end of said body; a metal shell mounted on the body and also extending over the end of the same in electrical engagement with said contact, the shell having projections extending respectively into engagement with opposite sides of said contact to prevent relative rotation of said shell; with a headed terminal member electrically connected to the second contact and clamping all of said parts together.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY T. PATSTE.

Witnesses VILLIAM E. BRADLEY, WM. A. BARR. 

